The equivalent of classes in GRAVEROBBERS is Crimes. They function as more like a Troika! background or Bastionland Failed Career than a 5e “class”. This is how you start, the game is how you continue.
Calling them Crimes gets the player to consider - at least the minimum amount - who their character is. You don’t choose a Crime (literally, you roll for one), nobody would choose this as an identity, so... what happened? Why are you like this/how did things end up this way? You can write some history here if that’s your jam, but “The House” is a good enough answer, and it’s the answer the game gives. This unites the group against a common oppressor and sets the stage for the game’s central conflict - undermining the House without them catching you.
I’ve also tried to name each one something that your character might get called behind their back or yelled at them in the street. “Harlot!” “Traitor!”, etc. This is the House talking.
They are also all verb-ish? Verb-adjacent. The burglar burgles etc. And that tells you what’s happening here, in this world. There’s burgling afoot, there’s grifting to be done in this game, some folk in this setting might be seen as harlots or heretics, there’s a traitor so there must be something worth betraying, and there are vagrants so people exist outside the system entirely which means there’s a system. You’re all against something, outside something, under something, downtrodden, disrespected. You hear your Crime and you know just enough about where you stand and what this all is.
Tools
I love starting items! Maze Rats does maybe my fave job of this, or the games I mentioned above. I’ve aimed to kiiinda avoid weapons (though they’re sprinkled in because Violence is an important concept in the rules) and go for gameable items - stuff you can come up with your own uses for. Glue! A mirror! Some bugs why not!
They’re also all totally diegetic, things you can imagine people would have. Character generation is maybe the best worldbuilding.
The big standout in the item list, I think, is the Heretic’s third eye. It’s the only magic mentioned in the Bare Bones, and the only “fantasy” item on anyone’s list. This should tell you a bit about what magic is in GRAVEROBBERS, while being open ended enough to be used in various ways. It’s also the one thing that puts onus on the Judge to come up with uses for it, but hey it’s one thing to remember? Put ghosts in adventures! Also if your players kill people, instant ghosts, so it’s ok if you forget I guess lol
(I call this the Aquaman Principle btw. Aquaman can fight crime underwater, therefore there is crime underwater in Justice League. Don’t put too many Aquamen in your game, but one or two helps define the setting because it must now include very specific problems and opportunities.)
Clothing
In these kinds of games, adventures, “what you have on you” is important. I reckon it should be defined along with starting items - it is a starting item, really? Clothing gets defined enough in D&D because you have to write your armour type, but this isn’t a game with AC so I needed another option.
Also it’s just handy to picture more detail about your character so I wanted kinda “extra” bits in character creation that gave little details, but I want details immediately gameable rather than an eye colour table or whatever (though those are fun).
I guess the main thing clothing does is help gauge reactions from the world around you, both giving the Judge ideas and also the player. My clothing is Respectable? Hmm, I wonder if I can get this guy to respect me... or, “this guy seems to be listening to you rather than the Vagrant beside you”, etc etc
Money
I don’t like putting money systems in games where it’s not necessary, I think a lot of games just put it in because money’s a thing, but it absolutely is necessary here. The full game will have more info on how it’s used but I think a smart group can come up with their own ideas.
Differing amounts of money ““balance”” (Hahahaha) classes and give more options, but it’s mainly for flavour. It’s important to the world and the game that it be included, but it’s not... “important”.
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Ok let’s talk a bit about each Crime in turn, that seems like a good way to stop me rambling.
Burglar: This is a game where you’re all basically Rogues... but here’s the Rogue. Burglar rather than Thief, despite how I like that as a name, because of the specificity. Items are very clearly and immediately useful to the kind of things you’re going to be doing. It helps to have a specialist - but also the Burglar is so specialised that they’ll be glad of the company of the others. I like that it’s alphabetically first in line, it’s a good introduction. I think if you’re going to have a relatively “neutral” class in the game, the Ryu if you will, it still needs to fill a niche, otherwise it’s just “the boring one”. I like to think the Burglar manages that
Grifter: The newest class if you’ve been following the updates. I like the name (I prefer Mountebank as a word but it’s too specific and doesn’t fit on the page) because it suggests, hints towards, personality. You also start with one of the lower amounts of money, that’s surely enough for a backstory! It’s a good verb, I grift. The player will want to grift. The items are fun and silly, you’re the gadget man, the guy who sets off the distraction. Aaaalmost the joke class but when the punchline is saving your team’s ass it’s a joke I want at the table. Although pouch of bugs is fully just a big joke, I can’t not be me
Harlot: I love that this is a Crime because I don’t think it would work in any other context but it makes so much sense for GRAVEROBBERS. Very open ended for backstory too, anyone discomfited by the implications can decide for themselves what they mean. The first ever PC in a GRAVEROBBERS game was a Harlot, fun fact. The items are absolute classic adventure/heist fodder but so different from the stealthy burglar. Your clothes are distracting, an adjective that’s going to spark schemes in the player’s mind. We know the concept of the distraction on a caper from Scooby Doo or a million other things. Encourages creative plans, interaction with NPCs. Yes you have a weapon, but Violence is its own problem in this game so...?
Heretic: As described above. This is the most RPG class here, the game’s Cleric, but you don’t get spells you just get... more information, more talking. That’s cool I think. A good Judge can really open the Heretic up, and I’m hoping adventure modules will assist there. You’re also a liability because, hey, you have anti-House sacrilege tattooed on your actual face. This is an immediate, obvious and fun problem to solve. I can picture the Harlot leaning across before character creation is even fully over to paint over the Eye. Also on the other hand it’s a stealth game, so if someone sees you you probably fucked up anyway, so in that way it’s not the biggest deal.
Traitor: Maybe my favourite Crime name. So much weight in that word, implications for backstory but also forestory - gameplay that is. What you did is surely nowhere near as dangerous as what you could do... In heist terms this is the closest you get to an inside man, with your Respectable garb, great new avenues for plans opened up, the Judge can offload setting info through you, but again you’re also a big liability. I can imagine Traitors separating from the group more often... they’re “allowed” here, they have a weapon to defend themselves... then disaster strikes, hehe. You also get so much money! So now you’re the fixer, the Prep phase is your oyster. Kitting out your team - oh, only got one lockpick, Burglar? Let me handle that.
Vagrant: The utility class? The ranger? Kind of. You have a weapon, only half the classes do, but yours is pretty non-lethal. Also that’s “stone”, singular - if you fling the stone away, do you go and get it back? Do you find something else as ammo? Either way you have to explore the area. That’s gameplay boiii. Waterskin is big utility, as is the ability to start fires, carry light... as far as underdogs go you’re a powerhouse. The 1 coin thing is a fun bit of character mainly, I don’t think it’s much of a problem since you’re on a team. Also rugged clothing means dirty but also durable... is this the game’s closest thing to armour? :P
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I’m going to leave it there. Hope some of that made sense! Check out the game, hope you like it. Tell me what weird fun things your players do :) x
2 comments:
This is very good. Is "the House" your version of DM/GM/Referee? I love explanations of tiny details like this post, and await with bated breath for More Things™!
Kind of? Diegetically it’s the oppressive force the players are rebelling against, so in a way it’s the GM’s character. But it’s also partly automated through the mechanics, so it’s more like the House is just “the game”.
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